Explainer: How smartphone exports transformed India's economy
Over the last decade, India's smartphone exports have jumped an incredible 127 times, reaching ₹2 lakh crore in 2024-25 (up from just ₹1,500 crore in 2014-15).
Thanks to this surge, electronics are now India's third-biggest export category—a huge leap from seventh place only a few years ago.
The main driver? Major upgrades in homegrown smartphone manufacturing.
iPhones driving exports, creating jobs
In just the first five months of 2025-26, smartphone exports shot up another 55% year-on-year to ₹1 lakh crore.
iPhones alone made up about ₹1.1 lakh crore of 2024's exports!
This growth has created around 25 lakh new jobs since 2014 and pushed India to become the world's second-largest smartphone maker, with over 300 factories now running (compared to just two back in 2014).
With fresh investments pouring into states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, India is set to keep climbing as a global tech powerhouse.